And they were splendidly entertained as Town not only unveiled a performance laced with passion, purpose and promise, but two of the debutants – Elias Kachunga and substitute Kasey Palmer – bagged the goals to seal a first home opening-day win since 2007.

For the most part, it was rousing stuff and many of the elements the fans had hoped to see – it was Town’s biggest opening-day home attendance since 1970 and the highest ever at the stadium – were delivered in enterprising fashion.

Town moved the ball smartly and quickly and only occasionally gave themselves heart-stopping moments at the back, allowing Scott Hogan a decent chance in each half and Brentford to equalise on 77 minutes through substitute Nico Yennaris, from a lovely back-heel by Lewis MacLeod to augment a slide-rule pass by Romaine Sawyers.

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Those flat patches apart, however, Town were bristling with ideas and would have won far more comfortably had they shown extra composure in the attacking third, and not found visiting keeper Daniel Bentley in quite such determined form.

The midfield certainly clicked and, with Kachunga working tremendously hard up front, it allowed Town to press forward the menace.

There was a quick tempo to the play – something which is going to be essential if Town are to build on a fine first 90 minutes – and Aaron Mooy oozed class alongside the experienced Jonathan Hogg in the centre, while Jack Payne underlined his reputation as one of the best emerging No10 players around.

With excellent support from attack-minded full-backs Tommy Smith and Chris Lowe, who both did well, Joe Lolley and Rajiv van La Parra were a constant threat and Brentford never really got to grips.

The widemen were here, there and everywhere, looking strong and eager, and the fans warmed to the ideas and the intent.

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Not only that, but there was a fighting spirit which bonded the team from debutant keeper Danny Ward – who looked very assured – through the central defensive pairing of Mark Hudson and Christopher Schindler to the rest of the team and, when they were introduced, substitutes Sean Scannell, Palmer and Ivan Paurevic.

Kachunga deserved his goal for a terrific display up front, brimming with a determination highlighted when he muscled past Josh Clarke to head home Smith’s perfect cross on 50 minutes.

It was fitting, too, that Lolley and van La Parra were at the heart of Town’s winner, 11 minutes from time, because they both impressed, and when Palmer slotted home barely 90 seconds after going on, the fans almost took the roof off with their celebrations.

Palmer jumped sky high, coach Wagner joined in by running down the touchline and it all summed up the mood of the day.

Yes, it’s only a start, but it was a mightily encouraging one to whet the appetite for bigger battles to come.